


One Less Moment

by wanderlustfaery (etherealprey)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, F/M, Not A Happy Ending, hermione doesn't know, trigger warning suicide
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-24
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-06-15 09:10:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15409698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/etherealprey/pseuds/wanderlustfaery
Summary: Scorpius Malfoy has graduated Hogwarts. He finds a letter among his father's things. He finds Hermione who's living in Australia to deliver the letter and learn more about his father. Not a happy ending for Dramione.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> No beta. TW suicide, it's spoken of happening in the past. This is NOT a happy ending. Loosely based on an episode of a tv show I watched. Kudos to anyone who can guess which show it was.

Scorpius walked towards the row of shops near the beach. He looked at the shops until he saw the symbol on the door. It matched the one he had seen previously on his father’s most loved possessions. He walked inside and looked around. It was a gallery with random paintings and objects. Some seemed strange, but mostly muggle. He walked along the walls, looking at the photographs and paintings. 

“Hello” a female voice said from behind

Scorpius turned around and saw a woman standing there. She gasped and dropped the vase she was holding. It shattered on the ground.

“Draco?” Hermione said

“No, I’m Scorpius, his son”

“You look just like him”

“I’ve been told that”

Hermione quickly composed herself and took her wand out and cast a quick reparo on the vase. She picked it up and placed it on a pedestal. 

“Are you here looking for something?” Hermione asked

“Yes, you”

Hermione looked up at him. He did look so much like Draco, except his eyes weren’t cold and calculating, they were hidden behind something, they were open and warm. 

“I haven’t seen your father in years”

“I know, I wanted to find you because I found this letter, addressed to you”

Scorpius took out the old letter and handed it to her. It was faded, and tattered. 

“I found it when his owl died. I don’t know why it never delivered it to you”

“Surely you could have sent another owl”

“I wanted to meet you. He never mentioned you except once, and when he did speak of you there was this sadness in his eyes that I never understood”

“The war did many things to us”

“It wasn’t the war. The dark mark faded on his arm, this was something else. I want to know more about him. My mother doesn’t speak of him. My grandparents only speak of him when he was a child. I feel there is so much about him I don’t know”

“Some things are left better unsaid”

“I thought you being muggle born you would understand. I know something was wrong with him at the end. I was still a child and I didn't know at the time, but I know now. Muggles called it depression. And I want to know what caused it. I want to know why he killed himself”

Hermione froze, as the tears started to form in her eyes. 

“I didn’t know he died”

“My father took his own life, and I want to try to understand why. And I know you know”

Hermione wiped the tears from her eyes. 

“I need a moment please. You can stop by my beach house tonight. You’ll know which one it is, only wizards can see it. Please excuse me”

Hermione walked off quickly into the back room. She shut the door and cast a silencing spell. And then she collapsed to the ground crying. Her Draco had taken his own life, and she hadn’t even known. She had hidden herself away as far as she could form him. She left England after the war. She went to Australia to find her parents. But sadly she could not reverse the memory charm she had placed on them. And so she stayed and watched over them. 

* * *

Scorpius arrived at Hermione’s beach house later that night. He wanted answers. He knocked and a girl his age opened the door. She had lavender hair and green eyes. She wore muggle clothing, but her skin was so tan from the sun.

“You must be Scopius, I’m Seraphina” 

“Nice to meet you, is Hermione here?”

“She’s inside” Seraphina said as she moved over and let him inside

Seraphina spoke with an Australian accent. She must be a local or so Scorpius thought. He found Hermione sitting at a table with a large box that was filled with letters. Scorpius sat down across from her. 

“I haven’t looked at these in years” Hermione said

“What are they?”

“Letters, Letters from your father” Hermione said as she showed him one

Scorpius looked at the letter and saw that it was written in his father’s hand with the same flourish he often wrote his name in. He scanned it quickly and realized it was a love letter. 

“It’s a love letter, are they all love letters?” Scorpius asked

“No, they’re all different”

“Just how do you know my father?”

“We went to school together, surely you know that”

“But you hated each other, you were on opposing sides of the war”

“We were”

“Then why was he writing to you?”

Hermione poured herself a glass of wine and took a large sip. She floated another glass towards him. She poured him some wine.

“Drink it you’ll need it” Hermione said

“Hey I’m going out, don’t wait up!” Seraphina yelled as the door slammed shut

“Who is she?” Scorpius asked

“My protege”

“Tell me about my father”

* * *

“Your father was running away from his demons after the war. We all were. I ran here to Australia to find my parents. He just ran. We ended up meeting on the beach one day. He seemed relaxed until he saw me”

Scorpius watched Hermione as she went through the letters in the box. She held one and pressed it against her heart. 

“We were both hiding, we were both running from our pasts. He told me that he couldn’t show his face anymore in the wizarding world anymore. He was treated so badly for his mistakes. He told me that his father, your grandfather had arranged a marriage with the Greengasses. Draco didn’t want to get married. He was only 18. He finally graduated and was trying to find out who he was.”

“You fell in love”

“I suppose we did”

“How long?”

“A few months, he wasn’t married yet”

“And then what happened?”

“Your grandfather wrote him a letter telling him to come home, that he had to do his duty. Draco of course ignored him. He stayed longer. It wasn’t until a letter arrived from your mother that caused him to leave”

“What did it say?”

“That she would kill herself if he didn’t come back. And that would be another death on his head. I think that broke something inside him, as if he weren’t already broken enough as it is. And so he left”

“He just left you?”

“Yes”

“But he was-”

“My lover, and he was escaping his past. He couldn’t live with himself if your mother did kill herself. So he left”

“But these letters, there are so many of them”

“He wrote the first one a week later, and every week he wrote me”

“How long did this go on for?”

“10 years”

“10 years? You were only with him for a few months and he wrote you letters for 10 years?!”

“They weren’t all happy ones, as time went on they became bitter and angry. He felt trapped and alienated. He was unhappy there, and I knew it was because he loved me still. So I told him of spell that would get rid of his feelings for me”

“Did it work?”

“It did”

“What spell was it? I’ve never heard of any spell like this before”

“It was one of my own creation”

“Tell me about it”

“You’re running from someone aren’t you?”

“I’m more like my father than you know. My mother arranged a marriage between me and another girl, that I don’t know or love”

“But you love someone else”

“Yes, but she’s made it clear to me that she doesn’t want anything to do with me anymore”

“Anymore?”

“Her name is Lily”

“Lily Luna Potter? Harry’s daughter?”

“Yes, we were together and neither of our parents wanted us together. I wanted to run away, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t abandon her family. So she slept with someone else to make the message clear to me that it was over”

“Oh, I see. But you still have feelings for her”

“Yes, and they just won’t die”

“Then you should do the spell then. Seraphina will help you”

* * *

 

Scorpius looked at the parchment and the list of ingredients. Seraphina stood next to him. 

_ Find my scent in nature _

Scorpius walked with Seraphina along the beach. He looked out at the waves and pictured his father here. He wondered what he was like back then. They walked along the boardwalk and into the shops and markets. And there he found Lily’s scent, among the flowers, and cinnamon sticks. 

_ Write down everything you love about me _

Scorpius began writing it down on another piece of parchment. Seraphina took it from him.

“It helps if you say it out loud” Seraphina said taking the quill from him

“I love your hair, your warmth and kindness. I love how you see the good in everyone. I love all the freckles on your face. You have 72 of them” Scorpius said

Seraphina didn’t say anything but kept writing. 

_ Wrap the list around the things that contain my scent and build a pyre _

On the beach they dug a hole and placed kindling in the middle. They wrapped the long parchment around the items they found at the market. 

_ Place stones around the pyre, And with each stone say something you hate about me _

Seraphina handed him a stone and he looked at it. He squeezed it in his hand.

“I hate that you choose your family over me” Scorpius said as he placed it into the sand harder than necessary

“I hate that you couldn’t believe in me. I hate that you didn't stand up for us. I hate that you slept with that stupid ginger prat Finnigan! I hate that you have such terrible taste in men! I hate that you didn’t love me enough to stay!” Scorpius said as he threw the last stone into the sand

_ Set everything on fire and watch me fade away.  _

Scorpius lit a rather large incendio which burnt everything quickly. He watched as the ash floated into the air, along with any thoughts of Lily. Seraphina placed her hand in his and dragged him back to the boardwalk. They entered a bar. 

“This is the last step” Seraphina said slipping a small piece of paper in his hands

Scorpius opened the paper. 

_ Sleep with someone new _

Scorpius looked up and she was gone. He looked around the bar and saw several girls were looking at him. 

* * *

Scorpius awoke in the morning looking around. He saw the girl from the bar last night sleep next to him. He got up and slipped out bed quietly. He took out his wand and apparated away. He knocked on the door to Hermione’s beach house. Hermione opened the door and let him in.

“I didn’t work” Scorpius said

“I’m sorry to hear that, it worked for your father”

“How can you be so sure”

“Because the last step was for him to send back all my letters, which he did, in that box” Hermione said motioning to the box on the table. 

Scorpius looked at the box. It had been his father's. He could see his initials on it. But this was one of his father’s trunks from Hogwarts. Scorpius opened the box and saw all the letters inside. 

“Strange that the didn’t send the last letter, but sent all these. When did you get them?”

“I received that box from a very angry looking black owl about 5 years ago” Hermione said

Scorpius looked up at Hermione and closed the box. 

“A black owl? Not my father’s normal owl?” 

“You said his owl had gotten sick and died.”

“Magnus, my father’s owl died recently. He was there with him at the end. Almost as if he knew what my father was doing. He didn't leave him. Hermione, my father killed himself a few weeks after I went to Hogwarts, it must have been a few weeks after your last letter. My mother must have found them and sent them back to you. That was my mother’s owl.”

“But...but…”

“She sent you these letters 2 years after he died”

Hermione collapsed onto the table, sobbing. Scorpius reached out and held her as she continued to sob. 

“Oh Merlin, I thought he had done it, that he didn’t love me anymore. That he was free of me”

“No Hermione, he loved you, until his very last moments”

“But why? Why would he do this?”

“Did you read the last letter?”

“No, I couldn’t bring myself to”

“Do you mind if I read it then?”

“Go ahead”

Scorpius took out the fragile letter and opened it. 

_ Hermione, _

_ I did what you asked, I did the spell, well not the last part, maybe that’s why it didn’t work. I burned everything, and you didn’t leave me. You continue to haunt me still. I cannot live this existence anymore. I feel trapped here, my heart being crushed in that I cannot be with you. The only redeeming thing about me is my son, who you will no doubt say he looks exactly like me. Except he’s warm and kind, and not a spoiled prat like I was. I don’t know if I can continue this anymore. Nothing works, nothing holds meaning anymore. And you want to cut yourself out of my life even more. Perhaps this a sign that I should leave. I have always been a coward, and this is the coward’s way out. Forgive me for this. I know I don’t deserve you but I still love you.  _

_ Yours eternally, _

_ Draco _

 

Scorpius placed the letter back into the envelope. 

“If he had stayed with you, he would still be alive” Scorpius said

“You don’t know that” Hermione said

“I do, because he would have been happy, instead he went back home to do this duty, and it killed him slowly.”

“I’m sorry this wasn’t helpful to you”

“There was this symbol, it was on his handkerchief and pocket squares. I saw it on a scarf he wore once,” Scorpius said taking out the handkerchief, “Do you know what it is? It’s not a rune”

Hermione looked at the handkerchief and smiled. She reached to the table and picked up a postcard from her gallery. 

“It was something I designed years ago. It was my initials.” Hermione said as she traced the letters on the design on postcard

“He was holding a handkerchief similar to this one when he died. We buried him with it” Scorpius said sadly, “He also had one with him. It was because he was carrying you around with him”

“How did he do it?”

“He drowned himself at our summer villa. He walked into the ocean and never came out. The water was charmed so nothing was swept out to sea. He was found later washed up on the beach. His owl never left him”

“I never knew.”

“My mother covered it up very well. I knew the truth, afterall I am the heir to everything”

“I know it’s a lot on your shoulders now”

* * *

Scorpius packed his bag and was ready to leave via portkey. He said goodbye to Hermione and looked out at the ocean. He came with many questions, but was leaving with even more. He never really knew his father, only that he had taken his own life. He wanted to understand why.

He looked out at the ocean, watching the waves roll onto the sands. This was where his father was last happy. He could see why. He wondered if his father experienced any happiness at all after he left. Did he feel trapped because his mother was pregnant with him. Did he even love him? 

“So you’re heading home now?” Seraphina asked

Scorpius turned around and saw that she now had light blue hair with a few darker tones of blue in it. Her eyes were now violet. 

“I came here to find answers” Scorpius said

“Did you find them?”

“Some, but now I have more questions”

“Even though the spell didn’t work, you’re still going to go home? Back to her?”

“Yeah, I saw what it did to my father, not being able to be with the person you love. I’m going to go back and fight for her. At least I’ll know I tired, that I just didn’t give up”

“Good luck then Scorpius”

“Seraphina, I don’t understand it, please explain it to me”

“What?”

“What are you doing here? You’re smart, you’re talented, you’re beautiful even with all the strange colors in your hair, are you a metamorphosis? Nevermind, I don’t understand why you would want to stay here and be her protege, when you could be out exploring the world, doing what you want”

“I’m here because I want to be here. I’m not just her protege, I’m her daughter”

Seraphina took out her wand and pointed it at herself. Scorpius watched wide eyed as her hair turned platinum blonde, and her eyes turned to a familiar shade of grey. 

“I’m your sister Scorpius”

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The portkey activates and Scorpius returns home to face the truth about his father, not exactly alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I gave in and wrote a part 2. No beta.

Scorpius looked just like his father, but he didn’t think like him. He didn’t meticulously plan out everything, or think about the consequences of his actions. He never thought things through, he was too rash and threw caution to the wind. There was never a plan with Scorpius. And this is why he grabbed onto his sister’s hand when the portkey activated. They both landed in their grandparents home. Seraphina pulled her hand away.  
“What did you do?!” Seraphina looked around  
“They portkey activated, and you just dropped that you were my sister. I wanted more time so I just-”  
“You just grabbed me and took me with you? Where the hell am I? My mom will be worried!”  
“You’re in the manor, where my father, our father used to live. I know, I wasn’t thinking but I just couldn’t let you go”  
“I’m in England?!”

* * *

 

Lucius was outside in the garden with his wife Narcissa when he felt the wards shift.  
“Scorpius has returned, but he’s not alone” Lucius said getting up.  
Lucius and Narcissa got up and walked to the sitting room where he found Scorpius arguing with a blonde girl.  
“I’ll arrange another portkey to take you back, I just want to talk to you!” Scorpius pleaded  
“There’s a thing called a phone, try using it!” Seraphina yelled back  
“Scorpius, you’ve returned” Narcissa said as she approached him, “we’ve missed you”  
“Grandmother” Scorpius said hugging her, “ Grandfather”  
“Not that I’m not happy to see you, but your friend here-” Lucius started to say  
“I’m not his friend, I’m the girl he just kidnapped from Australia” Seraphina said  
“Is this true?” Narcissa said  
“I didn’t kidnap anyone!” Scorpius yelled  
“You took me out of the country! Without asking me!” Seraphina yelled back  
“Can you please take your lover’s quarrel elsewhere?” Lucius said  
“Ew!” Seraphina said  
“Gross Grandfather!” Scorpius said  
“Not lovers, but you clearly are having a spat, so why don’t you take this elsewhere” Lucius said  
Scorpius grabbed Seraphina’s hand and looked at his grandparents.  
“She’s my sister, Father had a daughter when he was in Australia. I found her and I brought her back here” Scorpius said  
Lucius who was always composed, fainted. Narcissa looked down at him on the ground.  
“Oh dear” Narcissa bent down and pointed her wand in his chest, “Renovate”  
“Oh Cisa, I had a terrible daydream, Scorpius came back and said he had a sister” Lucius said sitting up  
He saw Scorpius and Seraphina standing there looking at him. And then he passed out again.

* * *

 

“She wants money doesn’t she?” Lucius said  
“No! She’s been in Australia this entire time. If she wanted money she would have come a long time ago. She wasn’t even going to look for father” Scorpius said  
Lucius was sitting in a chair, drinking firewhiskey. Narcissa was next to him sipping on her tea.  
“Who is the mother?” Narcissa asked  
“You already know who she is” Scorpius said  
“Don’t be the muggleborn witch” Lucius prayed  
“Father was happy there. Why did you make him come back for? If you let him stay he would still be here with us” Scorpius said  
“But you wouldn’t, don’t you understand that?” Narcissa said  
“Father would still be here, doesn’t that matter to you at all? He was so unhappy here” Scorpius said  
“Your father had a lot of demons. He ran away thinking he could escape them. But he loved you, never doubt that” Narcissa said  
“No, he loved her, and you all forced him to leave. He was suffocating here. He was dying here. And you all watched him. I watched him die slowly. I never knew him, he was just a ghost walking through the manor. Don’t you care what this did to him?!” Scorpius yelled  
“You will not speak to us that way! We loved your father. And despite what you think, we tried as best we could to help him.” Lucius said  
“He never knew he had a daughter. He didn’t know, maybe if he did, maybe he wouldn’t have-”  
“No, don’t start thinking what if. Your father did what he did because he chose to, not because of anything else” Lucius said  
“I can’t be here anymore” Scorpius aid as he ran out the room  
He found Seraphina on the phone with her mother.  
“I’m in this creepy house, he called it a manor. How pretentious is that? I don’t even know where exactly I am.” Seraphina said  
“I am going to strangle him. I’ll try to get a portkey over to you. In the meantime I want you to go see your uncle Harry. I’ll call him to let him know what’s going on. Don’t worry, he’ll help you” Hermione said  
“Thanks, why is it so cold here?”  
“It’s England, it’s always cold and raining there. That’s what you get for telling him you’re his sister! I thought we agreed not to tell him”  
“You talked and I listened, I never agreed to anything”  
“Harry’s address is 12 Grimmauld place. You can use the floo to reach him. I think he’s at work, but I’m not sure what time it is over there.”  
“I’m not sure either, but grandma and grandpa are here, and they’re very blonde”  
“Well where do you think you got that hair from?”  
“Whatever, this place is creepy”  
“GIve me a few minutes and you can floo over to Harry’s. Let me call him”  
“Bye mom”  
“Bye”  
Seraphina hung up and saw Scorpius standing there.  
“I’m so leaving, this place is super creepy”  
“Agreed, let’s go”  
“Oh no, we’re not going, I’m going”  
“You have to learn to trust me sis”  
Scorpius grabbed her hand and apparated away. They landed in front of 12 Grimmauld Place. Seraphina punched him in the shoulder.  
“I hate it when you do that!” Seraphina yelled  
“Always so violent, did you learn that from muggles?”  
“I learned that from my mom!”  
“I learned how to pour tea from my mother”  
“Great, where are we?”  
“We’re here to see Lily”  
“The girl that you’re fighting for? She lives here?” Seraphina pushed Scorpius towards the door, “Well what are you waiting for?”  
“Are you always this physical?” Scorpius asked  
Seraphina pushed him aside and knocked on the door. The door opened and an old house elf looked up at the two.  
“Master Scorpius, please enter” Kreacher said  
“Thank you Kreacher” Scorpius said walking inside  
Seraphina followed looking at the strange old house elf. She was surprised he could still move. They walked upstairs and saw Harry and Ginny talking. Harry’s hair was frazzled and he seemed frantic as he spoke to Ginny.  
“Master Harry, Master Scorpius is here with guest” Kreacher said  
Harry turned and saw Scorpius but then saw Seraphina next to him.  
“Blimey, it is you” Harry said  
“Hey uncle Harry” Seraphina said  
Harry pushed Scorpius aside and hugged Seraphina.  
“Hermione was so worried. Are you alright, are you hungry? Tired?” Harry asked  
“I’m fine, Scorpius here wants to talk to Lily” Seraphina said

* * *

 

Lily sat on the couch while Scorpius sat in the chair nearby.  
“Why did you come here?” Lily asked  
“To talk to you” Scorpius answered  
“Not to show off your new girlfriend?”  
“Gross. No. Why does everyone think that?”  
“You were holding her hand”  
“So? Are you jealous?”  
“Of course not, I don’t know why you’re here”  
“She’s here visiting Harry. He’s her uncle.”  
“My dad doesn’t have any family except us.”  
“My father’s dead”  
“I hate when you do that”  
“There’s a lot that I hate about you too. I even did a spell to get rid of what I felt for you. It was rather therapeutic, but it didn’t work”  
Lily could hear the laughter in the kitchen with her father, mother and Seraphina. She glanced back and saw the girl with lavender hair laughing with her parents.  
“I went to Australia to find answers. Answers about my father, on why he killed himself”  
“Did you find them?”  
“I found some, but I ended up with more questions. He was happy there. He fell in love. And then my grandparents and mother took it from him. Forced him to come back here. I understand him more now. I understand why he felt the way he did.”  
“Did you get closure?”  
“Not exactly. I ended up opening something else up”  
“Her legs probably” Lily muttered  
Scorpius stood up and sat next to her on the couch.  
“I love you Lily. And I’m not afraid to tell anyone how I feel. I don’t care about anyone else in the world except you.”  
“Scorpius”  
“I don't care about what you’ve done, I just want to be with you.”  
“We can’t, you know we can’t”  
“I’m not afraid anymore. I won’t live my life unable to be with the one that I love. I won’t be my father”  
“I didn’t sleep with him, I couldn’t do it. I still love you.”  
Scorpius wasted no time in kissing her.  
“What about my parents, what about your mom, and your grandparents?”  
“I think Seraphina is working on your parents right now. And my grandparents are kinda busy with other stuff at the moment”  
“What other stuff?”  
“Seraphina, she’s my sister”


End file.
